Chapter 115: Crown Prince, oh Crown Prince, you might as well be called the Rebellious Prince.

“I can live at the Yunbai residence too; it’s more fun here than the palace,” the Crown Prince said excitedly as he looked at Yunbai. They had already agreed that once Lady Yunbai returned, they would all go to the horse track to ride the ponies.

“Crown Prince, what about your studies and martial training? How can you indulge in such frivolities when you bear the weight of the throne?” This prodigal child, knowing you are the Crown Prince, but to outsiders, one might think you were born in the Jing Prince’s mansion.

“Oh, I thought Father would prefer me to stay with the Yunbais,” Xiao Chengze said with a hint of disappointment after the Emperor’s reprimand, lowering his head as he kicked a stone.

“Jingxuan is your uncle. What objection could I possibly have? But you are the Crown Prince; this is the time for learning, yet you only think of play. Is that fitting?” The Emperor sighed with helplessness. Now that the child had grown a little, he was harder to manage. Ever since he met Xiao Yunbai just once, his thoughts went astray. Clearly, he no longer wished to be Crown Prince—he wanted to be a rebellious son to drive his father mad.

Xiao Jingxuan looked at the Emperor’s face with unfamiliarity. Is this really the Emperor? Had someone swapped his mind? To call himself the Crown Prince’s uncle? Since when did brotherly bonds run so deep? He turned to glance questioningly at Su Jingluo, who merely stuck out her tongue playfully, her expression both mischievous and endearing, with a touch of coyness. Xiao Jingxuan felt his heart stir.

“Oh!” Xiao Chengze felt utterly hopeless. The education of royal heirs was endless; every day was filled with study. Even on major festivals, if not studying, there were countless rules to observe. He looked at Yunbai with envy.

Seeing that Xiao Chengze no longer retorted, the Emperor continued to be polite with Xiao Jingxuan for quite some time. He clasped his hand, expressing the deep bonds of brotherhood, then raised his cup in a heartfelt toast. He also praised Su Jingluo’s exceptional medical skills and unique insights, calling her the greatest wonder of the Great Shang—comparable to a fine young man. Xiao Jingxuan wondered if the Emperor had not only been brainwashed by Su Jingluo but had also sworn brotherhood with her. The Emperor then showered Yunbai with compliments: intelligent, sensible, kindhearted, destined for greatness. Even Su Jingluo thought this praise felt a little insincere—intelligent, yes, but the rest were yet to be seen.

That night, the Emperor returned to the palace with the Crown Prince and the princesses. Yunbai turned and wrapped her arms around the crouching Su Jingluo’s neck.

“Mother, are you hurt or wronged? Did they scold or hit you?” Yunbai’s anxious questions came in rapid succession, as if Su Jingluo had just escaped a den of demons.

“Silly child, the Empress Dowager only asked me to come to the palace for treatment,” Su Jingluo said gently. When Yunbai left, she had been unusually obedient, so Su Jingluo had thought there would be no emotional upheaval.

“But why was Father so worried? Do the adults treat me like a child and hide everything from me?” Yunbai pouted, feeling a stinging sense of being disrespected.

Su Jingluo shot Xiao Jingxuan a sharp glance, blaming his excessive worry for affecting Yunbai.

Xiao Jingxuan did not understand the meaning behind Su Jingluo’s look but returned a glare of his own. At home, the father and son worried so much about her, yet she seemed in such high spirits. The Emperor even personally saw her back. As an undercover agent in the palace, she should keep her distance from the Emperor. Xiao Jingxuan felt an odd resentment welling up inside him. Receiving another glare from Su Jingluo only worsened his mood.

“You’re overthinking. Don’t be afraid; no one is out to harm your mother. It’s not as if she has terrible relations with others. You don’t know how fond the Emperor and everyone are of me,” Su Jingluo said, concerned that Yunbai, so young, harbored such intense feelings of crisis and insecurity. Left unchecked, this could turn into paranoid delusions.